Davis Knox is a resident of Athens-Clarke County and founder and CEO of Fire & Flavor. He serves as chair of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. In this guest column, he explains the foundation’s purpose and encourages Georgians to donate to public schools through the foundation.
By Davis Knox
Our schools have been through a lot in the last two years, and students and teachers need our support. If you love the state of Georgia and want to see our public schools strengthened, consider supporting public schools through a donation to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education. In exchange for your donation, you can receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit, which we call the Qualified Education Donation (QED) tax credit.
Donated funds are directed toward innovation in Georgia public schools, with a specific focus on the lowest-performing 5% of schools. Schools and school districts have the opportunity to apply for grant funds for projects they propose, meaning the ideas and projects we fund are developed and steered from the ground up, by those who know students best.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
In May 2021, Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation merging the Innovation Fund Foundation — formerly housed within the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement — with the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, the philanthropic arm of the Georgia Department of Education. The two organizations now operate under the GFPE name, expanding our capacity to fund innovation and meet financial needs in Georgia’s K-12 public schools. Specifically, the merger expands fundraising capacity for the Qualified Education Donation — we are working to increase donations made through the tax credit program and ultimately provide more funding to support innovation and expand opportunities for students.
The Qualified Education Donation has previously funded support for COVID-19 relief efforts in Georgia schools, Innovative Education Fund grants for teachers, the Governor’s Honors Program, and more.
Specific examples include:
- Early County High School used an Innovative Education Fund grant to implement a program emphasizing real-world science experiences, with a focus on agriculture — helping students learn skills they could apply to future careers. The program trained students to use unmanned drone devices to survey farmland and collect data for local farmers.
- The Richmond County School System used an Innovative Education Fund grant to provide 24/7 on-demand and live instruction for K-12 students, allowing students the opportunity to receive tutoring services aligned with their needs and family schedules.
- Ivy Preparatory Academy used an Innovative Education Fund grant to implement Raspberry Pi, a program designed to teach students the fundamentals of computer science.
- Houston County’s Northside Middle School used an Innovative Education Fund grant to establish a STEAM Farm to enhance hands-on and project-based learning. Specifically, the grant allowed the school to expand its recycling program and raised vegetable beds, and add hydroponic towers, a quail hatchery, an arboretum, and seating for an outdoor classroom.
All Georgians — from parents, families, and students to educators to business owners — benefit from a strong public education system. Donating through the Qualified Education Donation is one of the simplest and most impactful ways you can show tangible support for public schools in our state.
I encourage you to become a donor and invest in public education today.
To learn more, including tax credit limits based on filing status, go to gfpe.org/tax_credit/donor_information.
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